Benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenic alopecia are two androgen-associated conditions that afflict nearly half of middle-aged men, the proportion progressively increasing with age. The former condition, urethra obstruction caused by hypertrophied prostatic gland, may develop into more severe problems without treatment, whereas the latter, male baldness, is rather a cosmetic problem. However, both conditions may cause great inconvenience, and psychological or physical suffering.
Androgenic alopecia (AGA), which may affect also women, is inherited as a polygenic disorder, probably involving multiple pathways, but the precise mechanism remains unknown. Similarly, although benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) affects almost all men to some degree as they age, the specific etiology of BPH remains also unknown. AGA shares a number of endocrinologic pathways with BPH. A principal peripheral androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), is formed by converting testosterone in the prostate gland, and blocking the conversion was shown to reduce the size of the prostate gland [Mikolajczyk et al.: Urology 55 (2000) 41-4]. The conversion is catalyzed by a membrane-bound enzyme, 5-α-reductase (5αR), present in the prostate gland and also in susceptible scalp hair follicles [Itami et al.: J. Dermatol. Sci. 7 (1994) S98-103]. DHT is believed to be a major player in androgenetic alopecia [Sunhyae J. et. al.: J. Steroid Biochem. and Mol. Biol. 107(3-5) (2007) 245-52].
The treatments available for AGA have consisted mainly of topically administered minoxidil, and of orally administered finasteride. Finasteride has been also used for treating BPH. However, minoxidil was shown to be scalp flaking and irritating, and eventually can cause itching or skin rash. Finasteride has been implicated with the several adverse reactions, including decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculation disorder [Carraro J. C. et al.: Prostate 29 (1996) 231-40]. Further, in females was finasteride contraindicated as a result of its teratogenic potential [Wolf H. et al.: M M W Fortschr. Med 141 (1999) 38-40]. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an alternative therapeutic means for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenic alopecia.
It is another object of this invention to provide a therapeutic means for treating androgen-associated conditions selected from benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenic alopecia, which would be effective and safe, and free of side effects associated with known therapies.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a therapeutic means for treating androgen-associated conditions, which means would be based on plant-derived hormones.
Other objects and advantages of present invention will appear as description proceeds.